Head of policy and communications at the Port of Dover, Richard Christian, said: “The UK’s reliance upon continued frictionless trade at the Port of Dover has been accepted at the heart of government.

"So has the need to preserve it.

"For a port handling £122bn or 17% of the UK’s trade in goods, and with half of that trade moving beyond London to keep factories busy and shops full in the Midlands and the North, the Lower Thames Crossing is an investment in the long-term economic success of the UK as a whole.

The port continues to press hard for a government commitment to other complementary strategic investments such as the dualling of the A2 to Dover which, together with the Lower Thames Crossing, will help protect jobs and livelihoods, keep traffic flowing and prices low for British consumers.”

The second consultation

A consultation on updated plans for the new Lower Thames Crossing will start next week and will be open for 10 weeks.

It will start on Wednesday, October 10 and run until Thursday, December 20.

Some 47,000 people had their say in the previous consultation on the proposals, the agency says this is a record for a UK road scheme.

It encourages people to comment on the new updated designs.

There will be 25 public information events being held across Kent, Thurrock and Essex.

A mobile information van will visit 30 locations to help people understand more about the proposals and put any questions directly to the project team.